Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal is the UK's highest award for animals that have made a name for themselves in the war. The honor has been awarded since 1943 and was initiated by Maria Dickin . It is the counterpart of the Victoria Cross , which is awarded to soldiers.
The Dickin Medal is awarded by the UK People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). Carriers include several carrier pigeons such as GI Joe , dogs , horses such as Sergeant Reckless and a cat named Simon . The medal is made of bronze . On it are the words For Gallantry and We Also Serve . The Dickin Medal is attached to a green, dark brown, and pale blue ribbon. The colors symbolize water, earth and air.
In February 2007 the Labrador bitch Sadie received the award because in November 2005 she discovered a remote detonated bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan. Sadie is the 25th dog to be awarded the Dickin Medal. Previously, in March 2002, two guide dogs received the award because on September 11, 2001 they led their masters out of the burning World Trade Center on time . Most recently (2016) the Belgian Shepherd Dog Diesel received a Dickin Medal. She received the medal posthumously for her work in a raid by the French police after the terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015 in Paris , in which she was killed.
The Dickin Medal is generally only awarded to British animals that have made a special contribution to the war. Under special circumstances it can also be given to animals from other nations. The PDSA Gold Medal was launched in 2002 as a civilian equivalent . It represented the counterpart to the George Cross .
Web links
- PDSA Dickin Medal on (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ^ Dickin Medal for Diesel the police dog killed in Paris attacks raid. BBC , December 28, 2015, accessed March 30, 2016 .